Jonathan Papelbon was amused to hear that Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner told the New York Post, “Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse.”

During the good-natured back-and-forth between Steinbrenner and Henry a few weeks back concerning which team’s brand is more recognizable, Papelbon had told the Hartford Courant, “I don’t know if he’s trying to stir things up or not. I sure as hell don’t care because he sure as hell hasn’t stepped on a baseball field. He needs to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess.”

In response to the mouse quote, Papelbon said, “Whatever, dude. Obviously, by that comment, he’s trying to start something. I’m not gonna get into it back and forth.

“I mean, I said that because I honestly believe it. People nowadays, whether it be reporters, ESPN analysts, guys that don’t play the game, don’t understand what it’s about. What the grind is about, what the clubhouse is like.”

When told that Steinbrenner said Papelbon made it personal, the closer said, “I don’t know why he would take it that way. I’m saying guys that have never been on the field don’t have the right to speak their mind about things that they don’t know about. I’m not insulted by what he said.”